Flexible razor-strop.



l UNITED "SFATEs 'PATENT opinion.

Specification of. Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

Applicationlecl March 28, 1904. Serial No. 200,291. i

To all whom it' may concern-i Be it known that I, WILLIAM T.- MANN, acitizen of the United States, residing'at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Chio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Flexible RaZor-Strops; and I do declare that thefollowing is a full, clear,

and exact descriptionof the invention, whichwill enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use' the same.

My invention relates to limprovements in i flexible razor-strops, allsubstantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out' inthe claim.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, the ligure is aperspective view.

The invention as thus shown .involves-improvement particularly in thestrop itself as a medium for sharpening a razor; but in addition to thisIv employ peculiar means for securing the end of the strop for use. Asto the latter feature the construction is such as to prevent the stropfrom turning or rolling to one side while stropping the razor and whichwhen it occurs subjects the strop to the very common danger of beinggashed or cut by accidentally turning the edge of the razor into acutting relation on the strop. This frequently happens, especially withbeginners in the use ofv flexible strops, because this strop is of thekind which has no backing or stiffening on its back, but is acomparatively thin strip of leather adapted to be used on both sides.Beginners are therefore apt to slash and destroy one or more stropsbefore they can get into the secret of their use, and often the mostexperienced men will drop into the same accident. This is owing to theswivel or similar rotatable engagement of the strop where it is attachedor suspended, and whereby a rolling or turning on the side of the stropis easily induced'by excessive pressure of the razor on that side oredge. Sofar as I know and believe all known flexible swivel-engagedstrops are liable to this objection whether they be reversible or not,and it is this lateral rocking movement of the strop that my means ofsupport are intended to obviate; but the essential novelty of thisinvention is comprised in the character and construction of the stropitself and which has to do in a material sense with the means forengaging the strop. Thus the body B of the strop or the strop itselfconsists of a piece of suitable leather of medium weight and withoutbacking of any kind on its back and provided at certain advantageousintervals with rows of4 holes transversely, they alternate rowslhavingthree and four holes,respectively, ofasize relatively as shown and at'regular intervals-apart as rows. Then between rows there are plainimperforate spaces b', which have been workedyout by experiment to getthe right width, the idea being that by drawing the razor across theedges `rof. the holes b a peculiar sharpening effect is obtained akin tohoning on a suitable smooth stone or other honing-surface, while theintervening 'space smoothes the edge of the razor. The two actions oreffects are obtained at practically the same time and are very markedupon the razor. The holes b are not to be filled with anything Whatever,as it is their natural edges upon which I rely to get the effect. If theedge of the razor shouldvget rounded, as is apt to occur especially with.flexible strops,

the strop can be taken down and laid on a.

Hat surface, with the rougher side of the leather up and the razorpassed over the same a few times as needed.

Now referring more particularly to the means for holding the engaged endof the strop it will be seen that the strop is provided with two eyes oin end clip C, one near` each edge, which are adapted to engage upon orover two suitable hooks d, lfixed into or upon the wall-.plate D. Bothhooks` and eyes are spaced apart alike, and the eyes are engageddirectly over the hooks. With this close connection at two points on thewall and at the edges of the strop the pull is evened over the entiresurface of the strop and held up firmly at its edges, where all leatherstro-ps are inclined to' break down and get flabby. Usually I sellwall-plate'D with the equipment, and thus all danger of the stropturning under the movements of the razor is avoided. On the contrary,the strop is held practically as straight andliat from edge to edge as aboard, and Ythere is no turning in its use. v

Any suitable handle portion E may be used. In this instance the handleis of leather.

It will be noticed that while the series of holes Z) are in rowsvtransversely they do not extend to either edge of the strop, but begininward from the edge, so as to leave an imperforate surface along eachedge of the strop across which the razoil is necessarily drawn afterleaving the said perforations, thus smoothing the blade at the end of"each stroke and holding up the edges of the strop. The saidperforations also are comparatively infrequent, and the imperforate landor space between any given row of holes is equal in IOO widthsubstantially to the greatest length of any one of said rows. r-I`his isfound by tests and experience to be the better construction. Then,again, the perforations are staggered in alternate rows, and alternaterows also show fewer perforations than the rows next on each side.

What I claim is- A razor-strop comprising a single strap of flexiblematerial provided with a series of rows of unobstructed perforations;the perforations in one row being staggered with relation to theperforations of the adjoining rows, a hand-grip on one end of theflexible strap and a plate carried by the other end of 15 the strap andprovided with eyelets located approximately in line with the outer edgesof the strap.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM T. MANN. Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, C. A. SELL.

